This invention relates generally to filter cartridges such as employed for fuel filters for internal combustion engines. More particularly, the present invention relates to the disposal of the fuel filter cartridges employed for removing foreign particles and separating water from the fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine.
Diesel fuel supplies frequently contain significant quantities of abrasive particles and water which present the potential for permanent damage to the components of the fuel injection pump and the fuel delivery system of the engine. Consequently, an effective fuel filter is a practical necessity and is conventionally incorporated into the fuel supply system of a diesel engine. A multitude of conventional fuel filters employ a disposable filter cartridge which is replaced at pre-established intervals of filter usage. Such fuel filters typically perform the dual function of removing particulate material from the diesel fuel and separating water from the fuel.
In the fuel filter assemblies to which the present invention relates, a base mounts a disposable filter cartridge. The filter cartridge has an axial opening at one end to provide fuel communication between the fuel delivery system and the filter element disposed within the cartridge housing. A sealing grommet is disposed at the axial opening to provide a fluid tight seal. The fuel filter cartridges may house a single stage filter or a dual stage filter and may assume a wide variety of shapes and configurations.
Fuel filter cartridges are typically replaced at pre-established usage intervals. The replaced filter, which is discarded, may contain fuel, fuel residues and contaminants and filtered particulate matter. Because of the nature of the contents, the disposal of fuel filter cartridges has been made more difficult by increasing environmental considerations and by the mushrooming of governmental laws, rules and regulations relating to the disposal and recycling of spent petroleum based substances. Because the spent filter cartridge ordinarily contains fuel products, disposal of the cartridge may be subject to strict environmental and hazardous waste guidelines. A key stage in the disposal of the filter cartridge and/or the recycling of the cartridge is to ensure that the fluids and substances within the cartridge do not spill into the environment either at the replacement site or while the cartridge is being stored and/or transported for ultimate disposal and/or recycling.